$2.97

Gherkin Snack with Olive Oil and Garlic by Gaea

Gherkin gherkin gherkin! What a fun word to basically just say, "small pickle". But these are no ordinary gherkins like you'd find tastelessly adorning your club sandwich at a diner. No, these are amazing little nuggets of joy, marinated in Greek olive oil and vinegar with a dash of garlic and coriander for intrigue. This is GAEA's newest creation: a TSA-friendly pouch of pickles (!!) both tender and crisp and oh-so-satisfying. Skip the chips on your flight and go with an updated classic that everyone will peek across the aisle and covet. No liquid to make a mess, nothing but sheer savory bliss.

For the true, true stories behind this incredible foodstuff, read on.

Boy have travel-friendly snack foods gotten amazing. Am I right? Just a decade ago your choices were pretty much chips, jerky-like-sticks, and energy bars. Everything processed, everything over-sugared and over-salted. BUT not today. From GAEA, those folks who know their olives, comes a trio of snack packs made for foodies and paleo folks alike.

First, start by admiring the gorgeous and spare packaging. It's a great indicator of the simple yet elegant flavors within. Gherkin Snack: these little bites of crunchy crispy tangy cucumber joy are fresh, firm, well-seasoned, and darn-near decadent. I don't know that there's a better "pickle" out there in the world right now, and certainly none so travel-friendly. It makes for delicious snacking, healthy kid treats, and some of the best salad toppings I've ever tried. (And not just at home: add some fancy upgrades to any sad airport salad and you're in the winning zone!)

GAEA has another hit on their hands with their new veggie Snack packs: Carrot Snack, Cauliflower Snack, and Gherkin Snack. These single serving sacks of nothing but Greek deliciousness are ready for your afternoon pick-me-up or your lunch salad. The package is resealable, but honestly you might not see much need for it: these are perfectly portioned just as is, either as a quick snack or chopped up and tossed in a kick-butt salad.

Quality and sourcing is what makes these so good. From small farmers and cooperatives in Greece, Gaea looks for the best olives and the best veggies and the most good that can be done for the community. I like that. And all of us will like the flavors that go into this little bag. Not too much salt or overwhelming seasonings, each little piece is a flavor bomb all its own, whether right into your mouth or sprinkled on a salad or any meal.

How to eat these Marinated Snacks

You’ll likely be eating these right out of the bag. And you probably won’t want to share. But it’s also worth noting that no salad is complete without some flavorful veggies, whether carrots or pickles or cauliflower. Chop them up and sprinkle them on your greens, your beans, your soup bowl!

Why these marinated veggie snacks are so good for you

"As the demand for healthy snacking continues to grow, we’re delivering! We are proud to introduce the very first shelf-stable, veggie snack with no preservatives and all natural ingredients. The perfect extension to our existing Olive Snack Pack line. Our carrots, cauliflower, and gherkins are lightly pickled in a slow process and marinated in Gaea extra virgin olive oil, spices and essential oils, and sea salt before they’re packaged in a protected atmosphere pouch."

About GAEA, in their own words

GAEA is a pretty awesome company. Here's a little bit of what they stand for and how they are helping to grow the Greek economy by keeping almost everything local and sustainable:

Gaea has shows impressive concern for both human beings and the environment. First, the company produced the first carbon neutral olive oil and olives in the world. Owner Aris Kefalogiannis says that it was possible by measuring carbon dioxide emissions during the life cycle of olive oil, all the way from the field to the supermarket shelf. It was found that for every kilogram of conventional olive oil Gaea sold, 4.08 kilograms of carbon dioxide were emitted, and just 1.87 kilograms of carbon dioxide for organic olive oil. (These numbers are about 1/20th that of tomatoes!)

Gaea calculated its carbon footprint because they pay a carbon tax. It's only natural to want to make the business more sustainable AND pay less tax, of course! The most emissions came from not glass bottles or worldwide transport, but rather the pesticides and fertilizers that go into the soil. (That's why conventional produce is such a higher impact than organic.)

Gaea also demonstrates respect for people. The company supports employees who seek an education, even financing secondary education for some employees. Gaea cares for more than just its 52 Greek employees. Gaea was the first olive oil company in Greece to do long-term farming contracts with the same farms and co-ops. They even revenue share with those producers. Kefalogiannis believes in “rewarding farmers for outstanding quality” in order to attain the consistently high quality products Gaea is looking for."

Here are answers to some of your most important questions!

How should these little snack packs be stored?

These packs are perfectly portable, but not indestructible: handle with care so that the bag isn't damaged before you're ready for the good! Once open it can be resealed but I wouldn't say it is air-tight, so keep it stable and cool and consume within a few days.